Heart valve surgery can be used to repair or replace diseased heart valves. For example, heart valve replacement may be indicated when there is a narrowing of the native heart valve, commonly referred to as stenosis, or when the native valve leaks or regurgitates. The repair or replacement of diseased heart valves can include, for example, the introduction of a prosthetic heart valve that includes biological tissue heterologous to the patient (e.g., a heterograft or xenograft).
Biological tissue can have mechanical properties that vary within a single donor and/or from among several donors of the same species. For example, biological tissue from a single donor can have non-uniform thickness and/or stiffness, and the average thickness and/or stiffness of biological tissue can vary from one donor to another. The variation in mechanical properties of biological tissue used in replacement heart valves can impact the performance and/or durability of a replacement heart valve implanted in a patient.